Arts & Life

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Arts

Edwidge Danticat: 'Whether Or Not We Belong Is Not Defined By Us'

5:29am August 30, 2019

by Steve Inskeep

Most of the characters in Edwidge Danticat's new collection are Haitian American, and Haiti is often in their hearts and on their minds. Danticat says the stories reflect her own immigrant experience.

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The three sister-princesses of the Vapra clan await the apology they feel they are owed in the Netflix prequel series Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

Arts

'Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance': Gorgeous, Multi-Faceted, Hollow At Its Center

5:00am August 30, 2019

by Glen Weldon

Netflix's 10-episode series — a prequel to the 1982 film — is, like the original, breathtaking to look at, but its thinly-drawn characters can't carry their narrative weight.

Keira Knightley stars in this true story about Katharine Gun, a British intelligence officer who exposed the US government's efforts to force the UN Security Council to sanction the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Arts

In The Run-Up To War, A British Whistleblower Exposes 'Official Secrets'

11:08pm August 29, 2019

by Andrew Lapin

Director Gavin Hood's film about a leaked NSA memo becomes an ambitious indictment of the invasion of Iraq itself, though it's saddled with drab visuals of characters frowning at computer screens.

'Jeopardy!' Host Alex Trebek Back At Work Following Chemotherapy

7:53pm August 29, 2019

by Richard Gonzales

Trebek actually began taping the 36th season of the TV show in July.

A zany showbiz family gets a little zanier when stage manager Rachel (Hannah Pearl Utt, left) and her actress sister, Jackie (Jen Tullock, right) discover the mother they thought was dead is alive, well, and a soap opera star.

Arts

'Before You Know It': A Charming, Soapy Comedy About Family Secrets

5:00pm August 29, 2019

by Ella Taylor

Two sisters (co-writers Hannah Pearl Utt and Jen Tullock) learn that their dead mother (Judith Light) is alive — and starring in a soap opera — in this "wise, witty and richly specific" film.

Fred Durst (yes, that Fred Durst) co-wrote and directed this thriller about a stalker. John Travolta (left), stars as the fanatic and Devon Sawa (right), stars as his movie star prey.

Arts

In Stalker Thriller 'The Fanatic,' Travolta Stalks, But Never Thrills

5:00pm August 29, 2019

by Simon Abrams

In Fred Durst's third feature, based loosely on his experience with an overzealous fan, the director lectures the audience while star John Travolta flails away at a one-note performance.

During NATO's 1999 bombing of Serbia, truck driver Vlada (Leon Lucev) is tasked with crossing his war-torn country to deliver mysterious cargo.

Arts

A War-Ravaged Country, A Mysterious Cargo: 'The Load'

5:00pm August 29, 2019

by Scott Tobias

The dangers are existential in this "anti-thriller," in which a truck driver must navigate Serbia's back roads carrying an unknown payload.

Even a little bit of organization — lists of things you talked about, calendar birthday reminders — helps keep your friendships from running on autopilot.

Arts

Want Stronger Friendships? Pull Out Your Notepad

3:05pm August 29, 2019

It's easy to let your friendships run on autopilot. If you really want to maintain connections with people you care about, it helps to get organized. Here's how.

Arts

'Dead To Me' Star Christina Applegate: Loss 'Lives In The Fibers Of Your Being'

1:32pm August 29, 2019

by Terry Gross

Applegate is nominated for an Emmy for her role as a woman mourning the sudden death of her husband in the Netflix series Dead to Me. Originally broadcast June 5, 2019.

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Arts

Natasha Lyonne On Being A 'Tough Guy' And Finding Herself Inside 'Russian Doll'

1:32pm August 29, 2019

by Terry Gross

Lyonne is up for an Emmy for her role as a woman who keeps dying and coming back to life on Russian Doll. It's a premise that she finds particularly resonant. Originally published March 27, 2019.

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